Smoke Impacts
While fire is an essential ecological process in maintaining functional ecosystems, it also produces combustion products that are harmful to human health and welfare. Probably the most common air quality issues facing wildland and prescribed fire managers are those related to public complaints about nuisance smoke. Complaints may be about the odor or soiling effects of smoke, poor visibility, and impaired ability to breathe or other health-related effects. Small particulate matter in smoke can cause acute health effects, such as respiratory and immune problems. These same particles are also largely responsible for visibility reduction in the form of regional haze. Perhaps the most immediate need for an effective smoke management program is related to smoke drifting across roadways and restricting motorist visibility. Each year, people are killed on the nation’s highways because of dust storms, smoke and fog. These and other adverse impacts of wildland and prescribed fire smoke are discussed in the following sections:
Because these and other consequences of smoke, there has been a call for increasingly effective smoke management programs to reduce these possible risks of wildland and prescribed fire to public health, welfare, and safety. Fire managers have a responsibility to try to prevent or resolve these issues through smoke management plans that recognize the importance of proper selection of management and burning techniques and burn scheduling based on meteorological conditions. In addition, community public relations and education coupled with pre-burn notification can greatly improve public acceptance of fire management programs.
Encyclopedia ID: p630
